/stereotypes on Shouldn't you be eating cheese, or smoking a cigarette held between two fingers, or snootily sipping a glass of Beaujolais, or jamming food down some poor goose's throat so you can gorge yourself on his freakishly swollen liver later on? /stereotypes off

Pied de cochon! I actually ate that signature dish at the restaurant of the same name in Montreal. Unfortunately, it wasn't the only thing I ate and my other dining companions and I couldn't finish it. It was lovely. And so was your picture, you crazy Quebecois.

What the hell? You caused a shitstorm that got me a barrage of hate mail calling me a racist shitheel for posting exactly this, and now you think it's funny all of a sudden? You ran me out of town on a fucking rail over something that now merits a chuckle? Fucking hell. What changed from three weeks ago to today that now this is funny where before it was racist? Seriously, what the fuck?

What changed from three weeks ago to today that now this is funny where before it was racist? I found my beret. I took this picture as a friendly gesture of peace, and to show that I miss your presence here. I guess it was not a good idea. Sorry.

What wasn't a good idea? Making light of the fact that you ran me out of here in the first place? qbert, I took you at your word that you were offended as a Quebecois by that post. I apologized repeatedly, both in public and to everyone who emailed me, no matter how vitriolic and openly threatening they were, for offending the people of Quebec, the same as if I had made up the campaign myself instead of merely finding it online. I took you at your word that you were sick of the traditional stereotypes being made fun of, and if one person was offended, then the stereotype is wrong. You agreed to that statement, remember? I acquiesced completely. I gave as complete a mea culpa as I possibly could have at the time, and left here in disgrace. And now you have the fucking nerve to put the blackface on yourself and make fun of it? I endured all that fucking hate mail, and exile from a site I love and have put a shitload of time into, so you could have a little laugh at my expense? So what wasn't a good idea, then? Rubbing my face in it? What, you didn't think I'd find out?

I'm afraid I can't do or say anything anymore that won't make you angry. You're taking this way more seriously than I ever did. I took you at your word that you were offended as a Quebecois by that post That was not my word. I was flippant one time, when you told me to chill, and I'm sorry I was. Other than that, my words in the previous thread are as clear as I can be. I took you at your word that you were sick of the traditional stereotypes Not my word. I was "disappointed" and "tired". It's the difference between a sigh and a scream. I'm sorry if I couldn't make this clear enough. you ran me out of here in the first place I have nothing to do with your decision to leave. everyone who emailed me, no matter how vitriolic and openly threatening they were, for offending the people of Quebec, the same as if I had made up the campaign myself instead of merely finding it onlineI endured all that fucking hate mail, and exile from a site I love I have nothing to do with any of this. So what wasn't a good idea, then? Rubbing my face in it? What, you didn't think I'd find out? I misjudged how much of an ordeal this has been for you. I thought we could laugh about it together. That was the intent. Sorry I made you go through this again.

As much as I feast on this sort of inter-personal conflict on Metatalk, it turns out it's not as fun when you like the people involved. There's a disconnect here somewhere. Given the lack of nuance in printed text, I think it's easy to read the worst into what someone "says" on a site. At the time, it did seem like q's reaction to the post was . . . overly sensitive (?), but that would be all the more reason to appreciate this response. chico, the self-imposed Elba act is over the top-- for what? I can't see leaving over a misunderstanding and I can't appreciate how it helps anyone but you. It just makes things fester, and that's not good. As for hate mail received as a result of the post-- wow, that should be treated as a badge of honor. People who do that seem to be cranks without a dog in the fight who just like seeing people get fired up.

I can't imagine that it would be much fun getting email calling you a racist when you aren't. I'm sorry that you had to go through that, chico. Still, you are an important part of what makes SpoFi great, and I hope you change your mind.

Look, who says I'm not a racist? Who says I belong here? I'm not a mod, my name isn't Rogers or Gary or Kirk. I'm a schmoe with a typewriter. I care about Sportsfilter, but Sportsfilter doesn't have to care back. I know the deal. I'm under no illusions. Sometimes, someone says something that really hits you where you live. This isn't the first time I've gotten shit from something I said, but this really struck a nerve, especially since qbert isn't some random moron, and I reached out to a few people who were all "You're on your own on this one." And when no one has your back on something, it's a safe conclusion that for all intents and purposes, you're wrong. Between that and the mail, I thought it best to declare mea culpa and leave the site. I didn't say anything at the time, because no one likes a whiner. I would never have come back if I hadn't gotten an email mentioning this thread. Do you understand why I'm upset by this? My main accuser, the one who bristled when I tried to assure him there was no malice in my posting the original photoset, then turns around and tells me to lighten up now that he's telling the exact same "racist" joke? So I was ridiculed why, then, exactly?

I get that, I just think you're being too absolutist about it (and as an Irish-Catholic fatalist, I feel like I have a nose for absolutism). Some days you eat the bar and some days the bar eats you. The worst part on the 'net is there's a good deal of randomness involved: post it a different time or day, no one notices. But that day happened to be the one when you posted something, q got his French Lace in a twist and everyone backs away because the lie on the 'net is people don't hold interesting or controversial opinions. To be honest, I didn't "have [your] back" because I dropped that thread tout de suit as soon as it devolved into a discussion of what's offensive. To you it seems like everyone was sitting at their computer watching and tut-tutting, but for those of us not involved, it was never such a big deal. I can't speak to the emails and I can't really understand where the hell they came from except some opportunists who don't know you at all. I don't think there's a regular here who thought there was any malice intended with your original post. Some folks might have gotten torqued, but I can't imagine anyone's opinion of you changed (I hope).

chico, me taking this picture is me agreeing with what you said here, only three weeks later. Also, I don't think you're a racist. For me, racism implies ignorance and malice. There was no malice on your part, I never doubted that. I'm not so sure about the creatives behind those ads, but that's a matter for a boring Québec vs Rest-of-Canada debate that doesn't belong on SportsFilter, and which I regret to have brought here. I made every effort to qualify my comments as the thread (d)evolved, because I was a little bit terse in the beginning, and that always leads to interpretation. I never accused you of anything, and never called for the link to be pulled or anything like that. My main beef was with grum's reaction. And then with anyone telling me to "lighten up", because, well, that's just what happens when I'm upset. Now, I am hereby not telling you to lighten up yourself. You have every right to be upset or angry or whatever it is you're feeling right now. The only thing I'm telling you is that I have lightened up, and I don't hold any negative feelings towards you, and when you feel ready to come back, I'll be glad to read you around these parts.

Chico, you're a racist. You're an Anti-SpoFite. No good can come of your departure -- you hurt a lot more people than you serve by your actions. The longer you stay away, the more credible the label. Anti-SpoFite bastard. I drink to you. Qbert, you're a sissy. First, you actually own a beret. Second, your self-deprecation is wittier and more brilliant than mine. Third, you gave me this damn CD and I don't understand a word of it. Sissy punk. I drink to you. Yerfatma, now you're involved in this, too. And I just plain don't like you. You're smarter than me, better looking than me, you drive a nicer car, people like you more, and you're a ridiculously proficient and valuable contributor to the site, for which you are bound to receive even more nauseating accolades. And you're a Red Sox fan. You make me want to puke. I drink to you. Knock it off with the bickering, you boneheads, because while you're fiddling the site is being overrun with Sousepaws.

I've just been reading this thread and the original BC Lions one and really don't see anything racist about it whatsoever. Yes, there are stereotypes, but they seem to me to be meant in a jesting manner rather than anything to offend. And, as I understand it, these were actual fans? So it isn't like it was a set up. And to hear that there were hate emails sent? Taking things way to extreme, imo.

Amen, brother Garf. If that's not enough to convince you that we care, señor bangs, well then, I'm going to have to serenade you. /plugs in guitar, skips intro and goes straight to guitar solo. ...and I meant, every word I said when I said that I love you I meant that I'll love you foreverrrrrrrr...

Weedy may I ask why you're in a dress? Sanjo, when you are a man... Sometimes... You put on ze dress.... Is for fun. (I had just signed up and that was one of the first things I saw. It was halloween like three years ago! I love that picture.) I don't know how to photobucket it, I know the guy who took - so whatever.

Hey, as one who said something he thought was kinda funny here before, then pretty much got piled on for being a sexist, then engaged in a flamewar, flamed out, fucked off, then thought better of it, returned gently, even e-hugged rcade (sacre bleu!), let's just say... I know where you guys are coming from. There's a continent of hurt stuck in between you guys, chico and qb, but it doesn't have to be this way. Way I see it (and you know it's the truth, brutha): - chico posted funny ads - qbert sighed (he felt "not the first, not the last time") - chico said chill out - qbert said hey, no, see here buddy, canada vs quebec pain - commence chico pile-on and ehatemail (unbeknown to the rest of us) - chico relents, sees error of ways, apologizes, sees no support from the SpoFi (I'd pretty much lost attention after what I thot was a funny pics post turned into an ICBM-hurling affair) - qbert sees that reaction to chico overblown, bringing unintended consequences, attempts to make amends with self-effacing funny pic - chico, still hurt, still isolated, unable to accept peacemaking gesture - sleepy spofi oldtimers awake, noticing chico's absence - spofi mourns Boy, I feels like a song or haiku comin' on...

Yerfatma... you're a ridiculously proficient and valuable contributor to the site So much so, owlhouse thought you were me. we're on the Bobby Sands No-Carb Diet Except, I would never say something like that, and as a Northern Irishman, I find that remark deeply racist and offensive. Not really (offended - sadly, I am really Northern Irish). Chico? qbert? You were both right and you were both wrong. As a Northern Irishman (given to tautology), I find your continued hostility in the face of common sense racially offensive. qbert, next time you offer an olive branch, pick a smaller one and don't batter the offeree over the head with it. chico, clumsily wielded as it may have been, qbert's beret photo was still an olive branch and you should take it. Take the knife from your nose before you cut it off to spite your face.

See, that's backfired because I have a kilt [note for the nervous: not a picture of me in a kilt]; I have Scottish heritage. I've only worn it once. Cameras melted. The whole experience was summed up by one particularly drunken (Scottish) friend when he caught sight of my legs: "Fuck me, JJ - I've seen better hangin' outtah nests!"